Will You Have to Pay an Extra 20% for Every Package from AliExpress and Temu: The Rada Returns to the Tax Idea

The introduction of taxation on small international parcels in 2026 is unlikely due to the complexity of the legislative process and the need for technical preparation of the customs infrastructure. This was reported by the Verkhovna Rada while commenting on discussions about the possible cancellation of the current exemption for international shipments.

It is noted that the relevant legislative initiative is currently under development, so its implementation this year is unlikely.

At the same time, the parliament emphasized that the issue remains a subject of discussion. The final decision will depend on the results of the bill's consideration, voting in the Verkhovna Rada, and the subsequent implementation of new rules.

When the tax on international parcels might be introduced

According to parliament representatives, even if the relevant initiative is supported, it will be necessary to go through the full legislative procedure and ensure the technical readiness of customs authorities and delivery operators for the new tax administration model.

Currently, no legislative decisions have been made regarding the introduction of new rules.

The Verkhovna Rada previously rejected the bill on parcel taxation

As previously reported by the "Judicial and Legal Newspaper", in May the Verkhovna Rada rejected bill No. 12360, which provided for the cancellation of the current VAT exemption for international parcels valued up to 150 euros. The deputies lacked the votes to send the document for a repeated second reading, after which the bill was rejected.

During the consideration, the parliament also did not support 11 amendments proposing to remove the provisions on taxation of small international shipments from the document.

How parcel taxation from AliExpress, Temu, and Amazon could have changed

If the bill were adopted, Ukrainians would have to pay 20% VAT on virtually all purchases on foreign marketplaces, including AliExpress, Temu, Amazon, and other online platforms.

The proposed mechanism envisaged that marketplaces would automatically charge VAT at the time of order placement. Then the funds would be transferred to the state budget through delivery operators. If the seller was not integrated into the Ukrainian VAT administration system, the tax would have to be paid directly by the recipient through the postal operator.

For tax administration, it was planned to use the UCR — a unique code for international postal shipments, which would allow automating the processing of parcels, including consolidated shipments when several orders are combined into one parcel.

The State Customs Service previously stated its readiness to switch to automatic processing of international shipments if the relevant legislative changes were adopted.

How much revenue the budget could receive from the parcel tax

The Ministry of Finance previously stated that canceling the exemption for parcels up to 150 euros could provide additional revenues to the state budget of about 10 billion UAH annually. The initiative was also considered in the context of harmonizing Ukrainian tax legislation with the legislation of the European Union and fulfilling certain international obligations of Ukraine.

Why businesses supported the cancellation of the exemption for parcels up to 150 euros

Business representatives supported the legislative changes, emphasizing that the current mechanism creates unequal competition conditions between Ukrainian sellers and foreign marketplaces.

The relevant committee of the Verkhovna Rada previously recommended the parliament support the corresponding legislative initiatives.

Despite the failure of the vote on bill No. 12360, the issue of taxing international parcels has not been removed from the agenda. New approaches to regulating this area are currently being discussed in parliament, but no specific decisions have been made yet.

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